1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with a releasable tray mounting assembly for a wheelchair. The mounting assembly is particularly suited to receive a multipivotal tray mount, thereby enabling those persons confined to a wheelchair to draw, eat and read from the tray in a position which is most comfortable. The mounting assembly is removably mounted to the arm of a conventional wheel chair by pivoting a lever attached to a cam which quickly and securely attaches the mounting to the wheelchair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many of those who use a wheelchair are often confined to it for many hours during the day. As such, the wheelchair occupant must perform many of his or her normal, everyday tasks while seated in the same chair. Not only eating but occupational therapy, work and hobbies must be performed from the wheelchair.
While these different tasks may require the presentation of a variety of objects to the wheelchair patient, present means of mounting trays to a wheelchair provide no variety of presentation or adjustment in the wheelchair. The work tray is often a lightweight metal, fiberglass or synthetic resin surface with a crescent shape to allow mounting on the wheelchair and permit objects laced thereon to be easily reached by the patient. However, these trays must be very close to the occupant to have adequate support, which is confining and restrictive in movement and activity for the patient.
Prior trays are mounted to the wheelchair tray by hook and pile fabric straps which wrap around the wheelchair arms. Other mounting devices include curved metal tubing secured to the wheelchair for attachment of the tray by thumb screws. Both types of mounting generally require the wheelchair occupant to seek assistance in mounting the tray to the wheelchair. The prior tray mounts require removal from the wheelchair whenever an occupant gets up or sits down.
The prior tray mountings serve to support items in a flat plane but lack the ability to adjust to various working heights, pivot for various work positions or swivel away from the front of the wheelchair. The present mountings make it cumbersome to remove and reattach the trays when the occupant leaves the wheelchair or otherwise desires that the tray be removed from the wheelchair. Because the tray must be removed entirely when not in use, trays must often be retrieved from various and remote rooms in a home, hospital or nursing facility when again needed.